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The Health and Care Worker visa after the July 2025 changes

UK visa guide · Checked against gov.uk on · By the GoRizzume team

What is the Health and Care Worker visa, and who can still get one?

The Health and Care Worker visa is a cheaper form of the Skilled Worker visa for doctors, nurses, other health professionals and some adult social care roles, sponsored by the NHS, an NHS supplier or an adult social care provider. Since 22 July 2025, care workers and senior care workers cannot get one from outside the UK: they can only switch, extend or change employer from inside the UK. You and your family do not pay the immigration health surcharge.

On this page
  1. What it is
  2. Who still qualifies
  3. NHS and care employers
  4. Salary
  5. Partner and children
  6. If your sponsor loses its licence
  7. Spotting a scam
  8. Changing employer and extra work
  9. Go deeper
  10. FAQs
  11. Sources
This is information, not immigration advice. It explains published Home Office rules and cannot see your own history. Always confirm on gov.uk, check with your employer, and take advice from an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority before making a decision that matters.

The basics

What is the Health and Care Worker visa?

It is part of the Skilled Worker route rather than a separate visa: you apply on the Skilled Worker form and answer 'yes' when asked whether you are applying for a Health and Care Worker visa. The core rules are the same as for any Skilled Worker visa: a licensed sponsor, an eligible job, a Certificate of Sponsorship, a minimum salary and English at the required level.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: overviewHealth and Care Worker visa: your job

What differs is cost and speed. The fee is £324 for up to 3 years or £628 for longer, the same inside or outside the UK, and neither you nor your family pays the immigration health surcharge. gov.uk says decisions usually take 3 weeks.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: how much it costsHealth and Care Worker visa: overview

The visa lasts up to 5 years at a time. You can extend it, and after 5 years you may be able to apply for settlement if you meet the requirements.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: overview

Eligibility

Who still qualifies after the July 2025 changes?

You must be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional, in an eligible occupation code, working for an eligible employer. The codes open to new applicants include:

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: your job

  • doctors, nurses, midwives and nurse practitioners
  • paramedics, pharmacists, optometrists, dentists, radiographers and podiatrists
  • physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychotherapists and psychologists
  • social workers
  • biochemists, biomedical scientists, physical scientists, laboratory technicians and pharmaceutical technicians
  • nursing auxiliaries and assistants
  • health service and public health managers, and residential, day and home care managers

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: your job

Care workers and senior care workers

Care workers (code 6135) and senior care workers (6136) were closed to applicants outside the UK on 22 July 2025. You can now only be sponsored in these roles if you apply from inside the UK and either:

Checked against gov.uk on : Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 997, 1 July 2025Health and Care Worker visa: your job

  • you have been working legally for that sponsor as a care worker or senior care worker for at least 3 months before it assigns your Certificate of Sponsorship, and you apply before 22 July 2028; or
  • you already hold permission as a care worker or senior care worker on this route, in which case you can stay with your sponsor or move to a new one.

Checked against gov.uk on : Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled WorkerSponsor guidance: sponsor a Skilled Worker

In England the sponsor must be registered with the Care Quality Commission for these roles. Sponsor guidance sets the Health and Care salary for care workers at no less than £25,000 a year and £12.82 for each hour worked.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: your jobSponsor guidance: sponsor a Skilled Worker

Other roles below degree level

Some other health roles, including dental nurses, ambulance staff, medical and dental technicians, dispensing opticians and health care practice managers, are now only open to people extending or updating a visa they first got with a Certificate of Sponsorship issued before 22 July 2025, and who have held permission continuously since.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: your job

The sponsor

Which employers can sponsor a Health and Care Worker visa?

Your job offer must come from the NHS, an organisation providing medical services to the NHS, or an organisation providing adult social care, and that employer must hold a sponsor licence. You can search licensed sponsors by city and sector and check any employer by name.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: your jobRegister of licensed sponsors: workers

Treat a licence as the start of your checks, not the end. The Department of Health and Social Care suggests looking the company up on Companies House, checking its Care Quality Commission registration, confirming it has a real physical address, and being wary of a website that talks more about visas than about the care it provides.

Checked against gov.uk on : Applying for health and social care jobs in the UK from abroad

The number

What salary do you need?

Most Health and Care jobs need at least £25,000 a year, or the national pay scale rate for the role where that is higher: for NHS roles, the pay band for the part of the UK you will work in. These rates apply in both the public and private sector.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: your jobSkilled Worker visa: if you work in healthcare or education

A small group of codes, including health service managers, laboratory technicians, care workers and senior care workers, follow different salary rules set out on gov.uk, and lower rates can apply to new entrants and people with a relevant PhD. Ask your employer which salary option your certificate uses, and check the figure before you accept.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: if you need to meet different salary requirements

Family

Can you bring your partner and children?

In degree-level roles such as doctor or nurse, usually yes. Each family member applies separately, pays the same reduced fee, and pays no health surcharge.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: your partner and children

Care workers and senior care workers face the tightest rule. Your partner and children can only join or stay with you if you have been continuously employed in the UK as a care worker or senior care worker, on a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa, since before 11 March 2024. Children are also allowed if they were born in the UK, or, for a child already here, if you are the only living parent responsible for them or the other parent is also sponsored as a care worker.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: your partner and children

If you switch into this visa as a care worker or senior care worker, your partner and children cannot switch with you as your dependants. Other jobs classed as 'medium skilled' follow a similar rule, with 22 July 2025 as the cut-off.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: switch to this visaHealth and Care Worker visa: your partner and children

When things go wrong

What happens if your sponsor loses its licence?

The Home Office tightened the care worker rules because of what its sponsor guidance calls 'significant non-compliance by care providers', which left a number of care workers without a sponsor or enough work. On 9 October 2026 it said more than 4,400 sponsors had lost their licence in the year ending June 2026, the highest level on record.

Checked against gov.uk on : Sponsor guidance: sponsor a Skilled WorkerVictims freed from abusive employers under new visa rules (Home Office, 9 October 2026)

  1. The Home Office writes to sponsored workers when it revokes a licence. It does not tell them why.
  2. If you were not involved in the reasons, your permission is normally shortened so that 60 calendar days are left. If you already have 60 days or fewer, it is normally left as it is.
  3. Within that time you need to make a new application, usually with a new licensed sponsor, or leave the UK.
  4. If you already hold permission as a care worker or senior care worker, a new sponsor can take you on without the 3-month rule. In England it must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
  5. If you had an application in progress with the old sponsor, change it to the new sponsor before a decision is made, or it will be refused.

Checked against gov.uk on : Sponsor guidance part 3: sponsor duties and complianceImmigration Rules: Appendix Skilled WorkerSponsor guidance: sponsor a Skilled WorkerHealth and Care Worker visa: update your visa if you change job or employer

In England, regional partnerships funded by the Department of Health and Social Care help care workers affected by a revocation understand their position, find a new sponsor and get support if they are struggling. gov.uk lists the email contact for each region.

Checked against gov.uk on : Support offer to international adult social care workers whose employer's sponsor licence has been revoked

Stay safe

How do you spot a health or care job scam?

The Department of Health and Social Care publishes guidance for people applying for health and care jobs from abroad because some people and organisations try to exploit them. Its warning signs include:

Checked against gov.uk on : Applying for health and social care jobs in the UK from abroad

  • you are contacted out of the blue, or offered a job without applying or talking to an agency
  • you are asked to pay a fee to get the job; a UK-based agency charging you for finding work is breaking the law
  • you are asked to pay the sponsor licence fee, the Certificate of Sponsorship fee or the Immigration Skills Charge, which the employer must pay
  • the salary is very high for the job, no experience is needed, or the job description is vague
  • the agent's website, email address or physical address is missing or vague
  • you are pressured to sign a contract you do not understand, a new contract with different terms, or one with an excessive repayment clause
  • someone claiming to be from a UK official body asks for urgent payment to fix a problem with your visa
  • you are told that a year as a senior care worker will let you register as a nurse without the usual English exam

Checked against gov.uk on : Applying for health and social care jobs in the UK from abroad

gov.uk says you will never be asked to pay for a visa in cash or by money transfer. Report visa scams to Report Fraud. Report exploitation at work to the Fair Work Agency through its online form, by email to contact@fairworkagency.gov.uk or on 0800 432 0804. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Checked against gov.uk on : Report visa and immigration scamsContact the Fair Work Agency

Since October 2026, if the Home Office recognises you as a victim of modern slavery, you can leave your sponsor and take any lawful work for the rest of your visa.

Checked against gov.uk on : Victims freed from abusive employers under new visa rules (Home Office, 9 October 2026)

Moving on

Can you change employer or take extra shifts?

To change employer you need a new Certificate of Sponsorship and must apply to update your visa before you start the new job. You can apply up to 3 months before it starts and keep working your current job while you wait, as long as you applied before your visa expires.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: update your visa if you change job or employer

Overtime in your sponsored job, and bank shifts for your NHS sponsor, need no visa update. A second job of up to 20 hours a week is allowed if it is in an eligible 'higher skilled' occupation, on the Immigration Salary List, or in the same sector and at the same level as your main job.

Checked against gov.uk on : Health and Care Worker visa: taking on additional work

Go deeper

Where to go next

Articles

Sponsor Licence Check: How to Check if a UK Company Sponsors Visas (and What the Register Can't Tell You)How to search the Home Office sponsor register, what the route and A/B rating columns mean, why sponsors vanish from the list, and our count of the 7 October 2026 edition.UK companies that sponsor Skilled Worker visas (2026 guide)How to find employers that can actually sponsor you: the official register, what a licence does and does not mean, and how to apply where you can be hired.

Tools

Sponsor licence checkCheck one employer against the register before you spend an evening on its application form.Visa sponsor registerEvery licensed UK sponsor, by city and sector, mirrored daily from the Home Office register.Sponsor register statisticsHow many organisations hold a licence, by city, route and rating.Visa sponsorship jobsLive roles at licensed sponsors, taken from the employers' own careers sites.

Licensed sponsors near you

GoRizzume's copy of the Home Office register lists 126,000+ licensed organisations, last synced 31 October 2026. A licence means an employer can sponsor, not that it will for every role.

Related guides

Visa guideSkilled Worker visaThe main UK work visa: who qualifies, the salary rules, what it costs and who pays, family, changing jobs and settlement.Visa guideHow visa sponsorship worksThe mechanism behind every sponsored visa: licences, ratings, certificates, who pays what, and the sponsor's duties.HubAll visa guidesEvery guide in the series, the tools, and guides by country.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can care workers still apply for a Health and Care Worker visa from abroad?

No. Since 22 July 2025 care workers and senior care workers can only be sponsored for permission to stay from inside the UK. Doctors, nurses and other eligible health professionals can still apply from outside the UK.

Do I pay the immigration health surcharge on a Health and Care Worker visa?

No. You, your partner and your children do not pay it, and you can use the NHS from the date your visa starts. Some services, such as prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests, are still charged.

Can a care worker bring their family to the UK?

Only in limited cases: mainly if you have been continuously employed in the UK as a care worker or senior care worker on a sponsored visa since before 11 March 2024, or for a child born in the UK. If you switch into the route as a care worker, your family cannot switch as your dependants.

What happens if my care home loses its sponsor licence?

If you were not involved in the reasons, the Home Office normally shortens your permission to 60 calendar days. You need to make a new application in that time, usually with a new licensed sponsor, or leave the UK. In England, regional partnerships listed on gov.uk can help you find a new sponsor.

Can a recruitment agency charge me a fee?

A UK-based agency cannot charge you for finding you work. Overseas agencies may charge where local law allows, so check the fee is reasonable. No one should ask you to pay the sponsor licence fee, the Certificate of Sponsorship fee or the Immigration Skills Charge.

How long does a Health and Care Worker visa decision take?

gov.uk says you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks, once you have applied, proved your identity and provided your documents.

Can I switch from a Student visa to a Health and Care Worker visa?

Yes, if you have completed your course, your job starts after the course has finished, or you have studied full time for a PhD for at least 24 months. For a care worker role you also need to have worked legally for the sponsor for at least 3 months.

References

Sources

Every page below was read on 23 October 2026. The Immigration Rules change several times a year; if a gov.uk page says something different from this guide, gov.uk is right.

  1. 1.GOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa: overview
  2. 2.GOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa: your job
  3. 3.GOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa: how much it costs
  4. 4.GOV.UK, Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 997, 1 July 2025
  5. 5.GOV.UK, Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker
  6. 6.GOV.UK, Sponsor guidance: sponsor a Skilled Worker
  7. 7.GOV.UK, Register of licensed sponsors: workers
  8. 8.GOV.UK, Applying for health and social care jobs in the UK from abroad
  9. 9.GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa: if you work in healthcare or education
  10. 10.GOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa: if you need to meet different salary requirements
  11. 11.GOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa: your partner and children
  12. 12.GOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa: switch to this visa
  13. 13.GOV.UK, Victims freed from abusive employers under new visa rules (Home Office, 9 October 2026)
  14. 14.GOV.UK, Sponsor guidance part 3: sponsor duties and compliance
  15. 15.GOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa: update your visa if you change job or employer
  16. 16.GOV.UK, Support offer to international adult social care workers whose employer's sponsor licence has been revoked
  17. 17.GOV.UK, Report visa and immigration scams
  18. 18.GOV.UK, Contact the Fair Work Agency
  19. 19.GOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa: taking on additional work
This is information, not immigration advice. It explains published Home Office rules and cannot see your own history. Always confirm on gov.uk, check with your employer, and take advice from an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority before making a decision that matters.